Of Childhood Trainwrecks and Literary Inclinations

From time to time I'll look back on childhood and cringe — either because of the way I behaved in a particular situation or the way I was tormented in others. Most of childhood was just grand, don't get me wrong. But every now and then a memory will spring forth out of nowhere, and I'll think: "Who was that kid?"

Which is why I'm having so much fun reading Can I Sit With You? — a web collaboration of some really fantastic writers recalling some really unnerving events. Or funny events. Or downright catastrophes. It's like getting the chance to rubber neck someone else's childhood angst and neuroses, and I just can't avert my gaze.

The most recent essay, by Lisa Lucke, offers the perfect blend of humor and humility, and it's all capped off at the end with a jaw-dropping, cringe-inducing revelation — a must-read for anyone who remembers practicing so hard as a child only to be told, well, go read it. I don't want to spoil it. Then there's Dori Ben-David's yarn about her late afternoon encounter with someone she and her friends used to torment. And these are just a few of my favurites.

The site raises money for special education, and the essays are also published in a book. I just wanted to share for a good cause, but mostly, for a good read. If you had an odd childhood, this is the perfect site for you. And really, who didn't?